Device for draining water from sand



J. W. STIEFEL.

DEVICE FOR DRAINING WATER FROM SAND.

APPLICATION FILED DECAY, 1920.

1,408,653, Patented Mar. 7, 1922.- zyz cu z In men far, JZn WJZ ZWfZ Z A5,; ZZarmy.

it, i

JOHN VI. STIEFEL, 01* ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

DEVICE FOR DBAINING VALTFR FROZVI SAND.

access.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1922,

Application. filed Iiecember 17, 1920. Serial No. 431,511.

.7 0 (NZ w loo wit may concern Be it known that i, JO N w. STInrnL, a citizen of the United States, residing); at Paul, inthe county of Ramsey and State of lllinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Draining Water from Sand, of which the follow ing is a specification.

This invention relates to devices to be used in connection with gravel and sand screens, in connection with which a spray is used, so that the water will comniing'lc with the sand, either for washing the gravel to remove clay and other undesirable substances, or for keeping the perforations or meshes of the screen free from clogging with sand.

An object of the invention, to provide improved means for extracting or separating the water from the sand after it leaves the final screen, or, in other words, to render more or less dry the last sifting.

A further object of the invention, is to provide a device which will. occupy comparatively small. space under the screens, es-

pecially as to height, and which will be readily adjustable to meet conditions arising when handling material of Varying characteristics, without entailing tedious removal or disassembling of parts of the device.

A still further object of the invention, is to provide a device of the class described, which may be used in connection with any type of sand screening mechanism, such as the rotary or shaker types. A popular, and almost universally used. method of separating the water from the sand, or, rendering; the sand dry as it is sometimes called, is to catch the sand and water as it leaves the screen, in a large hopper of great depth (from 7 to 9 feet deep), the hopper being shaped like an inverted cone and having a discharge valve at the vertex of the cone. customarily this valve is operated to open, bythe pressure of the sand and water due to the enormous depth of the hopper, the valve being provided with suitable mechanism such as weights and springs to cause it to open at a given pressure. The water will overflow at the top of the hopper, while the sand sinks by gravity and rapidly accumulates beneath the surface thereof When the proper pressure is arrived at, the valve will automatically operate, thereby discharging the wet sand from the bottom of the hopper into the bin below. Obviously every particle of the submerged sand is surrounded by water so that much of the water is drawn through the discharge opening of the hopper, it frequently coming out in the torm of a mushy, soupy, consistency. Sand in this condition is far from satisfactory and when loaded into trucks directly from the hopper or the bin, is unfit for immediate use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a moisture extracting device, simple in construction, cheap of manufacture, and comparatively small in vertical dimension so that a gravel screening plantneed not be built to the enormous heights now necessary, when using a hopper as above described. In plants where hoppers are used. the hopper must be positioned below the last screens to receive the sand by gravity, and above the sand pit. The sand pit in turn, is elevated above the ground to enable loading directly into the box of the truck. By the use of my invention fromfour to six; feet of height may be saved.

To this end, the invention consists in the construction combination and arrangement of parts, one form of which is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of the general frame work of my invention.

l igure 2 is a side elevation of my invention positioned under a sand or gravel screening machine of the shaker type, parts of the device being broken away, and the sand screening mechanism being shown only in general way.

Figure 3 is an end View of Figure 2 partly broken away. I

Figure at is an enlarged end view of the lower edge of one of the separating screens.

l igure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the hinge structure at the upper edge of the screen.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of another part of thel'iinge structure of the screen, and

, Figure 7 is a fragment of the trough plate of the invention.

In the drawings:

itsdesignates the upper, and B the lower vibratory horizontally disposed screen carry ing frames, each of the frames having stretched over top and bottom the sc "eens (.1 and. 7) respectively. The frames are hung in the frame 0, by means of the depending lever supports (2, one above the other, and are reciprocated longitudinally of the frame C, by mechanism of which the connecting rods I) alone are shown. The base of the frame ll consists of the longitudinal beams (Z. In opi-rration, the sand and ra el i fl posited onto the top screen. by conveyor means not shown. The mesh of the screens on the screen frames, gradually re (lure in size from the uppermost screen (6 which is very course, to the lowermost screen i). which latter constitutes the finest screen of the outlit. through which the screed ings will fall. The frames A and B are open at their respective ends so that the sand may be discharged through said open ends. Alpplicants invention is positioned directly under the lowermost screen 7). and comprises end frames 1*: one for each end, said end frames com 'irising a horizontal cross member 1, supported on uprights *2, which latter in turn rest upon a suitalile cross beam 3 spanning the distance between the walls i of the sand pit below.

Arranged longitudinally over the frame A, are suitably positioned water spraying devices, such as the perforated pipes E, so that the water will fall upon the unscreened material on the upper screen and seep successively through each of the lower screens. As above stated, the lowermost screen Z) is formed with a smaller mesh than the others, the material passing therethrough, constituting the last and finest screening.

Ordinarily, the water is caught by suitable conductors and thereby lead away from the bins. To accomplisl. the objects stated in the foregoing, I position my invention in the path of the water and sand falling from the lowermost screen.

Extending longitudinally of the frame I? and centrally positioned. thereon, and journnled. at its ends in the journal boxes 5, is the pintlo rod 6. Strung on the red, are preferably a plurality of quills 7, arranged contactingly endwise, each. alternate quill having an outwardly extending bar 8, so that when the quills are assembled upon the rod, the bars will be in spaced parallel relation.

The outer ends of the bars are suitably bolted, as by means of the bolts 9, to the short leg of a horizontally disposed angle bar 10, said angle bar preferably parallel with the rod 6. The ends of the angle bars extend beyond the bars 8 and the uprights 2 and over curved flanges 11 of the brackets 12. The curvature of the flanges is concentrio with rod 6, so that when the rectangular lattice frame formed by the quills 7, rod 6, bars 8 and angle bar i0, is swung upon its pivot constituted by the rod 6, the upwardly extending long leg 10 of the angle bar will sweep in close relation, over the flange 11'. Suitably spaced apertures 13 in the flange ll. adapted to loosely receive the bolts 14E, serve to hold the lattice frame at any selected angle, said bolt loosely fitting an opening 15 in the angle bar registering with said apertures. As shown, each successive quill is inclined in opposite downward and outward direction so as to form two similar lattice frames hinged on the rod 6. The rod 6 therefore, forms a ridge at the vertex of the angle formed by the planes of the lattice frames. Suitably secured over the upper sides of both of the lattice frames and bolted by means of the bolts 9 to the angle bar 10 is the coarse wire screen 16. This screen is preferably formed of one piece as shown in Figure 1, and serves as a foundation or rigid permeable support for a line wire screen 17, which latter flatly overlies the screen 16 and is bent at right angles against the long leg 10 of the angle bar 10. The liner screen 17 is held securely positioned by means of a longitudinal strap 18 extending the. length of the screens, and having suitable bolts 19 whereby the screen is securely clamped against the leg 10. Thus, the finer screen may be easily and conveniently removed for renewal by simply removing the bolts 19 and the strap. The screen 17 is oi liner mesh than the lower screen 7) of the screening device, so that none of the sand particles may pass therethrough, but will permit the water to freely do so. However, by using a screen of such fine mesh, a capillary action is set up in the meshes by the water, so that a sheet of water is formed which will flow down the incline more or less rapidly due to said capillary action. In order to arrest this flow, l have provided the angle bars 10, the long upwardly extending leg 10 thereof serving as a sand stop, to permit the downwardly sliding sand on the screen to accumulate or slightly bank up as indicated in Figure 4; of the drawings. Obviously, as the water approachesthe angle bar it will become less and less in volume, so that when it arrives at the angle bar there will be very little water percolating through the screen. Should however, some of the water find its way into the accumulated sand in the angle bar 10, it will flow over the free edge 10 of the short leg, or it will be conducted in the channel of the angle bar to be discharged at the end thereof. The in clined screens therefore, constitute a means for distributing in the form of a thin sheet,

the falling particles of sand together with the water over and inclined surface, said surface being of a character to permit the particles of sand to roll downwardly over the edge thereof, while the water will trickle the angle of the screens may be adjusted so that the sand in its fall will be delayed or accelerated as the case may be. For the purpose of catching the falling water under the inclined screen I. provide a trough plate 20.

This trough plate extends between the outer edge of the long leg 10 of the angle bars 10, and is held thereon in the following manner.

Spaced at intervals on the long leg 10, are the studs 21, said studs being riveted in the face of the angle bar 10 so as to extend at right angles therefrom, and being suitably threaded so as to threadedly receive the nuts 22. The edge of the trough plate 20 is provided with apertures 23, registering with said studs so as to loosely receive the latter, the nuts 22 being positioned in spaced relation so as to permit the plate to be bowed downwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig ure 3, when the screen frames are swun inwardly. By constructing the plate and its support in this manner, adjustment of the screens is rendered easy, while at the same time the provision of an undesirable slidable joint longitudinally of the plate is avoided. As the drain plate is made of thin metal it is easily bent, and by forming the loose stud connections as described, clogging with sand is avoided. As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the trough plate which may be termed a trough, is inclined to provide fall for the water so that it will drain to one end thereof, a suitable catch trough 24 under the end of the trough being provided, whereby the water may be carried away by suitable conductor pipes not shown.

While I have shown two separator screens hinged on the rod 6, it is to be understood that a single screen, extending the full width of the sand screens above, might be used.

The screens A and B may be termed main screens through which the water and sand passes, and the inclined screens, auxiliary screens through which the water and other liner undesirable substances pass. Thus the last screening is somewhat improved in qual ity, the finer substances being carried away by the water in the trough.

I claim:

1. In a device for separating water from washed sand, the combination with sand screening and washing means, including horizontal open mesh screens adapted to be vibrated, and water spraying device to bring the sand and water into commingling relation to wash the sand, said means being constructed to discharge the commingling sand and water directly from the mesh of the' screens from above downward, of a stationary inclined screen of apprec1ably finer mesh than said open mesh screen, so as not to let the screened sand pass through it, said stationary screen being positioned directly under said open mesh screen and spraying devices and extending laterally an appreciable distance out of and beyond. the path of the falling water and sand, whereby the moving sand is impeded in its travel topermit the water to drain through the stationary screen.

9-. In a device of the class described, the combination with sand screening means, said means including open mesh screens and water spraying devices to bring the sand and water into commingling relation, said devices constructed to discharge the commingling sand and water in a downwardly directed path, of inclined screens of finer mesh than said open mesh screens positioned in said path of the falling commingling sand and water, the lower edges of said inclined screens extending out of said path, and adjustment means for changing the angle of inclination of said inclined screens.

A device for draining the water from commingling water and screened sand in combination with a reciprocatory sand screen having parallel side edges and water spraying devices for playing on said screen, comprising downwardly and outwardly inclined screens directly under said reciprocatory screen through which the sand cannot pass but through which the water will pass freely so that when the commiingling water and sand is dropped on the upper inclined surfaces of the screens, the sand particles will roll down the inclined surfaces of]? of the screens while the water will seep through the screens, each of the screens extending laterally an appreciable distance beyond the parallel edges of said reciprocator y screen and having a longitudinally disposed gutter along its lower edge to deflect any water which may fiow by capillaryaction down the stationary screen.

at. In a device of the class described, the combination, sand screening mechanism including main open mesh screens, and water spraying devices above said main screens, of auxiliary screens positioned in inclined position directly below said main screens but constructed of finer mesh than said main screens, said auxiliary screens being arranged to receive on their upper surfaces the sand and water from said main screens and means for conducting the water from under said auxiliary screens.

5. A. device of the class described for the purpose set forth, comprising a frame, a pair of screens inclined upwardly toward each other, said frames having pivotal support at their upper adjacent edges on the frame, holding means extending from the frame to the screens for selectively holding the screens in, inclined position, and a thin flexible arcu ate bottom extending between the respective lower edges of the screens and pivotally secured to said lower ed 'es, said arcuate bot tom being inclined toward one end of the screens.

6. A device of the cless described and for the purpose set forth, comprising a frame, screens pivotally jcined together to swing on the frame like the covers of a downwardly opening book means for selectively holding 10 the screens at an inclined position, and a trough under the screens constructed so as to he changeable widthwise to span the space between the lower edges of said screens.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN W. STIEFEL. 

